Sajid Akram, one of the two alleged Bondi Beach attackers who killed at least 16 people at a Jewish event in Australia, was an Indian citizen from Hyderabad and last visited India in 2022, Telangana Police said.
The fifty-year-old was a resident of Tolichowki in Hyderabad, but after migrating to Australia on a student visa in 1998, he only visited India on six occasions, the police said.
“The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation. The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana,” the Telangana police said.
The police further said that they do not have any adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before he left in 1998.
On reports that indicated the father-son duo were inspired by ISIS ideology, the police said that “further investigation in this regard is being carried out by Australian authorities.”
The Telangana police said it remains committed to cooperating with the Union government’s probing agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, urging the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Akram, was shot dead by police officers. His 24-year-old son, believed to have acted alongside him and named by local media as Naveed Akram, was also shot and remains in critical condition in hospital.
Investigators say the father-son duo opened fire on hundreds of people gathered at the beachside festival, carrying out the attack that lasted about 10 minutes at one of Australia’s most popular tourist locations, according to Al Jazeera.
Wayne Hay, reporting for Al Jazeera from Bondi Beach, said police confirmed that “two Islamic State flags – homemade flags – were found in the gunmen’s vehicle along with an improvised explosive device”.
“They also spoke about this trip that the pair had taken to the Philippines. A lot of speculation about that over the past 24 hours or so. They confirmed that they did go to the Philippines recently, but they are not clear yet as to the motive for that trip,” Hay said.
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